Tough Luck
by whoatherebuddy
Summary: <html><head></head>Avery squeezed her eyes tightly together in the rattling darkness, praying it was a nightmare. Her long, thick eyelashes screwed themselves into the creases of her laughter lines beneath her eyes but no memory came to her. She couldn't remember her name, her home or whether she meant anything to anybody. There was nothing.- This fanfiction is set slightly before Thomas arrives.</html>
1. Chapter 1

Avery began her sudden assault into life with the jolt of metal. Chains rattling like a shredder through paper. Her ear drum popped at the quick assent upwards and she hissed when the floor beneath her jumped. It screeched against whatever it was sliding along but her eyes where blackened with blindness.

Patting her hands along the ground beneath her sweat-ridden boots, she could feel the smooth texture of metal. It went in ridges and the gaps between each rod made Avery realise she was in a form of cage; trapped like a circus animal.

At this sudden metaphor Avery's mind flooded with images of sort. Flooded with knowledge: of running estuaries and flooded riverbanks. The movement of a tree in the autumn and its bright colours. She knew how the world ticked environmentally and physically except her own mind betrayed her.

It was as if the memory of a crossing guard had denied her passage to her memories and how she lived before. Avery squeezed her eyes tightly together in the rattling darkness, praying it was a nightmare. Her long, thick eyelashes screwed themselves into the creases of her laughter lines beneath her eyes but no memory came to her. She couldn't remember her name, her home or whether she meant anything to anybody.

_There was nothing._

The mere thought that she had nobody made her want to curl into herself and cry but she couldn't find the tears. _There was no point in crying over someone you don't know _– she thought.

Avery's anger towards the blockage in her head evaporated, instead bile rose into the back of her throat as the cage travelled faster. The swaying movement made her stomach churn in the isolated darkness.

Suddenly the whole carriage jolted, her body was thrown to the side and into a structure of built up crates. Avery wound her fingers into the edges of the boxes and clung to them for dear life. She muffled a cry as the cage shook again.

The clothing covering her legs seemed dangerously thin and she could feel the cold metal denting into the skin of her butt painfully.

Another clank against the walls around her made Avery huddle, her knees curled into her chest.

Then the room halted, it gave a hideous lurch like it was trying to gag her out.

When it finally stopped shaking, Avery uncovered her hiding face. It was pitch black but she whisked her head side to side in the darkness, the mindset that she'd she a sprinkle of light somewhere.

Avery hesitantly stretched her arms out to the sides; she ran her hands over the wooden crates next to her and flinched when her nails scraped the side of the room.

She was surprised at her ability not to feel claustrophobic but at the realisation that she was either buried alive or having to survive in the darkness for God knows how long; she took an uncontrollable deep breath.

She was about to shout out for help when a vicious clunk sounded over her head. She fell back down into her crouched position and tightly gripped her clammy hands onto each other over her knees.

Her heart began to hammer loudly, it echoed like a banging drum in the room.

A straight line of light appeared in her eye line and she gasped, her eyes darting up to the ceiling.

The startling sunlight was nearly unbearable to Avery. Being so used to the cold darkness of the room; she held a hand in front of her to shadow her eyes.

She heard voice. Human voices above her and the whole ceiling was hoisted open.

Fear stabbed her chest repeatedly and she covered her face with both hands as the floor rattled with the weight of someone else.

"Looks a bit feminine don't you think?"

"-Shut it klunk. You're no ripe pear either."

"Do you want this wrapped around your head shuck-face?"

"Keep your traps quiet or I'll throw you off the cliff."

"Wait-"

"Is that?"

"No way-"

"A girl?"

The hoard of voices made Avery feel cowardly against them. She shoved her face deeper into her knees and tried to make herself as small as possible.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know how to handle these situations!"

The bickering male voices seemed harmless, they sounded like school boys so Avery slowly uncovered her head. She squinted at the harsh sunlight boring into her and slowly the new world became clearer. Her mouth was slightly agape as she looked at the crowd of boys staring down at her.

They looked filthy. Their clothes hung in sweat and dirt on their bodies.

Avery snapped her mouth shut and her eyes darted to the boy in front of her. He was bent over slightly, as if he were about to pull her to her feet.

Confusion settled over the group of boys watching her intently, their minds seemed as dazed and confused as Avery's was.

"What do we do?" A chubby boy whispered down to the taller one in front of her.

He looked up at the stout teen and raised a confused eyebrow. "I don't know Chuck."

The boys looked between each other, obviously stubbed on what to say; how to move. It was at this moment, Avery's adrenaline started racing.

With an unsuspected leap, she shoved the boy in front of her and clambered out the cage. The stuffiness evaporated and she stumbled over her feet.

Avery pushed herself forward; she didn't know who these boys were. She didn't even know who she was herself.

Her breathing became laboured and she sprinted across the fields of fresh grass.

Wind whipped passed her ears and her hair flapped against her back. She pounded her feet into the ground and without hesitation headed toward a wooden hut.

She grappled the wooden door and the last thing she saw as she slammed it close was the group of boys chasing her wake.

Avery's chest was hammering away or furiously she felt like her heart was going to explode out her chest but the hammering of the door made her forget about her internal organs exploding within her.

"Greenie! Open this door!"

Taking a spluttered breath she coughed out at the deep voice on the other side. "No, I don't know who you are!"

"We can explain greenie! Open up!"

"Who the fuck is greenie? I don't trust you!"

"If you open the door we can explain what is happening."

"Leave me alone! I don't know you!"

"The glade has an order greenie! You're breaking the order!"

"Stop talking shit to me!" Avery screamed through the door. The wood has cracks in it from poor building and she looked out through it.

The boys were all gathered a couple of meters from the entrance, they were looking on nervously as a muscular, dark-skinned boy stood in front of them all and a paler one stood shouting at the door.

Avery quaked in her boots at the number of boys. The ratio of her to the rest of them made Avery's stomach tumble.

"Gally." Another boy sighed. "Don't shout at her."

"I'm not shouting Newt."

The one having a screaming match with Avery stepped back slightly. His short hair made his face rounded and an obvious sun-burn reddened his cheeks.

Avery looked up from where she was sat, her dark blue irises soaked in the blond boy. He stood anxiously staring at the door. She couldn't help but think how attractive he was. Despite the insane situation she ran her eyes down the full length of his body.

Avery's head snapped to sense and she turned away from the hole in the door and turned away: finally looking in on the room in front of her.

It was circular, benches covered in pots scattered a corner and wooden stools were cuddled together in another. It reminded Avery of a type of meeting room; where the boys probably held meetings.

What for – Avery didn't have a clue.

She inhaled and let out a breath of fresh air. It felt foreign in her lungs, like she was used to the feel of man-made air, non-environmental and lab-born.

The air smelt of cooking meat and fresh grass. She could smell the freshness of a running stream and growing crops.

"Greenie?" A soft voice crept through the cracks in the door.

Avery stopped checking out her surroundings and perked her ears to listen. "My name isn't greenie."

"Okay. Do you remember what it is?"

She looked at her now muddy fingernails and furrowed her dark eyebrows. "No."


	2. Chapter 2

Newt glanced awkwardly at the others behind him, Gally crossed his arms and quirked a light eyebrow at the hut. He gave a swift nod to a couple of other gladers and they stealthily hopped around the back of the hut.

Inside, Avery became nervous at the dead silence echoing outside; she slowly raised herself from the bundle on the floor and studied the walls of the hut carefully. They were thin, made by hand and chopped down from the forest she'd seen vividly whilst trying to get away from all these boys.

The floor creaked at her weight as she stepped timidly into the middle of the room; she looked up at the streams of sunlight beaming through the holes in the ceiling. As if she were a doe in the forest alone, her blue eyes rounded in awe at the golden colours, she trailed the beams and watched how it made her hair shimmer.

The brown locks flowed over her shoulders, slightly bunched from the running and clambering into the hut but it remained cascading down. Looking down at her covered toes she wandered how tall she was, Avery thought back to the size of the boys outside and hoped she wasn't too small. It was enough feeling outnumbered.

The clattering of wood being stretched and snapped made Avery flinch violently. She almost vomited in shock but tripped back away from the noise instead. Her butt hit the floor and she scrambled, her nails clawing at the ground, grabbing a metal pot from the side she grasped it tightly then placed herself in a protective stance.

With a sudden burst, the wooden door flew open and on the opposite side of the hut; the roof ripped open. Avery watched, mouth wide, as two boys fell down and landed in a crumpled groan. The same boys she'd ran from; they were almost comical.

"Twitch we just want to talk."

Avery's head snapped to the source of the voice. The boy with the short cut _– Gally_. "Twitch?" She tightened her grip on the pan and held it in his direction.

"You're keep twitching so-"

She shook her head and huffed. "No, tell me where I am right now."

"I know you're confused-" The blond haired boy approached her slowly; she glanced down at his foot as he moved forward like he was scared she would strike him.

"Fuck yes I am, who are you people?"

"Okay, just lower the pan alright? You're in the Glade."

"The Glade?" She squinted as the name rolled off her tongue.

"Yes, we all came here just like you. We know you're confused-"

"I don't know who I am. I can't remember anything!" Avery said distressed, the body heat from the boys gathered in the hut was overwhelming and she felt her palms become sweaty from discomfort.

"Alright Greenie." Gally said calmly. "Everyone out! Now." He turned to the boys grappling one another to get a look at her. There had to be at least fifty of them, all ranging from tall to short, hair varying different colours and lengths. She noticed the dirt jammed onto the freckles of their sun-burnt cheeks and arms; like they had been working hard since dawn.

Avery stepped back as she was left with Gally and the blond boy in front of her. "I don't know who I am." She repeated but this time more to herself. A realisation hit her; she could've been a complete nobody, erased from existence.

"Gally, what should we do?" The blond boy turned to his companion and crossed his arms.

Gally made a move towards her and she jolted the pan up to him. "Do not come closer, or I will smash your head against the wall."

He stilled and tilted his head to her. "Look greenbean, I know you're confused and trust me, the rest of us for shucks are too."

"Where are the other girls?"

The two boys shared a look then turned to her once again. This time the blond one answered her question. "There haven't been any other girls. You're the first."

Avery lowered the pan slightly as her thoughts screamed at her. No girls? Trapped in this hell hole with all these boys. "What are you all doing here? Why am I here?" She demanded loudly.

"We don't know, we're all just like you." His voice was smooth, a slim British accent, it was alluring and she dropped the pan to her side. His deep eyes glanced at it and Gally stood taller behind him; like he was making her view his authority.

"Do I get to go back?"

"Back where?" Gally snapped. "It's a one way trip greenie."

She ignored him and allowed the blond boy to take the pan, his fingers tugged on the metal and the handle slipped from her grasp.

"Newt?" A dark-skinned boy trudged in and stared her down. She lowered her head self-consciously.

"I think she's beginning to get it Alby."

"What have you told her?"

"Just the basics. What we tell the greenies."

Alby turned to her, his dark muscles were loose in relaxation as he addressed her. "Welcome to the Glade then greenie," He opened the door. "Names Alby."

She opened her mouth to answer and reply with her name but she snapped it close because her mind was blank. All she could do was nod in his direction to try and show at least a sign of respect.

"Just keep yourself calm. We don't need no squealing in the Glade." He said roughly and motioned with a quick swish of his hand to follow him out the door. From his posture and the way Gally kept his trap shut in front of him, he was obviously the leader.

The darkness of the hut Avery had gotten used to, made her raise a hand in front of her face to stop the sun from blinding her once again. She felt Newt's and Gally's eyes on her back as she stepped into the sunlight.

Her pupils dilated in the harsh light and she squinted at her surroundings. Like a camera falling into focus, she lowered her hand and began to see clearer into her new world.

Avery, once again, felt the distracting ache of confusion. Pulsating through the blood in her veins was the remaining adrenaline and she wanted nothing more than to run away and hide herself from these people.

As she stepped into view, the others turned to watch her reveal herself finally. Emotions were raging a war inside her head, fear was the top predator. She hated how her new companions gawked her, looking at the newbie.

"You got jobs to do klunks! Get to it." Alby roared across the lot of them. They scattered and ran off in directions; a couple hesitated then darted to where they were meant to be.

Avery looked across the entire area of the Glade. It stretched far and wide on each side of her, at least 3 acres of land was placed in the middle of four large, dominating walls. Curiosity overcomes her fear and she jogged away from her new leader and into the middle of the Glade.

She span around in awe at the size of what was around her, her dark hair whipped around her neck in the soft wind; above her lay the comfort of a cloudless sky.

The weeds wrapped around her feet were hooked to overgrown grass and flush wildlife, her eyes travelled into the corner where a grove of trees were huddled so tightly you could see the darkness creeping from it's centre: on the edge were a few stragglers chopping and hacking.

Avery felt a warm feeling spread to her toes when she saw another corner full of livestock. Due to her distance the tiny cows and sheep were miniature and the single horse behind them provided an adorable sense to the Glade.

_Glade - _Avery felt her mind become unsettled at the mere thought of the new vocabulary but she pushed the feelings away; she was stuck here.

"How's it feel twitch?" Newt wandered over, an axe in his hand.

Glancing at it for a second; her stomach flipped in fear he'd hack her to pieces. He shook his head and dropped it with a little smile. "Don't worry I'm not going to kill you." He said gesturing to the weapon by his side.

She tried to return the smile but it came out as a grimace, her nerves about this place were getting the better of her. "It's confusing I guess."

"Alby doesn't really know how to react to a girl coming into the Glade right now, so instead of one of the shucks doing it, I'll give you a tour."

Avery wasn't sure how to reply so she gave him a quick nod, he understood the nervousness of a greenie; he used to be one himself.

Avery's top was a light blue, compared to Newt's it seemed spotless despite the mud stains from tripping. She wrung her hands whilst following the boy. She watched his shoulder blades arch with every step he took. The sweat showed he'd be working hard before she arrived; it was obvious from the muscle he had that he'd built himself up over the time he'd been here.

_How long had he been here?_

"Why are we here?"

Newt turned over his shoulder and he slowed his pace so he was walking next to her. "No one really knows. I can't say much because I don't know half of it anyway so sorry. I don't know."

They passed a group of boys clawing at the ground with rakes, spooning the soil for baby seeds. They looked only young, teenagers. "Wait, I don't know how old I am." Avery said quickly.

Newt glanced at the boys she'd been observing then back to her. "I'd say you were about 16? Shuck it maybe 17."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 17." He said squinting at the bright sunlight.

"Can you tell me what I look like? I can't remember."

They stopped walking and Newt swung the axe over his shoulder casually. He rolled onto his left hip and looked her up and down. "Brown hair, like Chucks. Blue eyes, you're probably about 5"4."

He looked away quickly and stared at the farm like area where they were heading.

"That's it?" Avery asked.

"You're a girl; I can't explain every detail Twitch."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She waited a second then released a breath. "Oh, I get it. Sorry about that."

"The runners should be back soon." Newt changed the subject suddenly and looked at the corridors leading out the walls.

"Runners?"

"I'll explain another time. Come on before the shuck-faces start trying to talk to you." He motioned towards a group of other boys glancing their way and she silently agreed.

"Why are they staying there if they want to talk?"

"I'm second in command. The klunks know when not to get involved." He said smoothly and Avery looked up at him, his face was stone set, unlike Gally he didn't use his position to make people bow down to him. It seemed he had enough respect throughout the Glade for the others to know when not to intervene.


End file.
